Cobra's Son, Naptown's Baby: 4200Kory

The Far Eastside of Indianapolis has always carried stories of struggle and survival, but few voices have managed to bring those stories to life the way 4200Kory does on his debut album, Cobra Son. Born Chauncey Kory Graham, he grew up around 42nd and Post Road, a neighborhood often dismissed by outsiders as nothing but crime and chaos. But to Kory, it’s home. It’s where family, pain, love, and resilience all intersect. And it’s that contradiction that drives this project.

Cobra Son Album Cover

From the first song, "... KEEP SCORE", 4200Kory makes it clear with his tone and subject matter that this isn't just a debut album for the Naptown native: this is a memoir of his life, of everything that makes him Kory. Cobra Son alternates between explosive records that can turn the city up and traumatic reflections that linger in the back of the mind. That balance isn’t by accident. It mirrors Naptown itself. One of the most dangerous places in the country, but also a city where beauty, family, and community find a way to survive.

"The oldest, bearing the weight of a torch I was born with. Coming to peace with commotion."

The single “CHAUNEY MANE” set the tone early. It’s named after his family nickname, a reminder of his roots, his circle, and the home that shaped him. The video drives it home. You can see Kory rapping among family and friends, unflinching in his honesty. It’s playful, it’s sharp, and it’s reflective all at once. That’s 42K in a nutshell.

4200Kory on the set of WTHR

But Cobra Son digs much deeper. On “DEALIN WIDDIT” and “AUGUST 20TH”, Kory turns personal tragedy into vivid storytelling. He recalls the loss of his father, the murder of close friends, and the grief of watching a 21 year old kid shot by police. These aren’t abstract concepts, but lived experiences that bleed through every bar. It’s devastating, it's heavy, but it’s also proof of his resilience. Proof that he's Cobra’s son. He’s not just surviving these memories; he’s transforming them into something powerful.

The title of the album carries the heaviest weight. Cobra Son is an homage to both of the people who anchor his story: his fallen father, whose absence still defines much of Kory’s perspective, and his mother, Cobra, who opens and closes the project. She is the beacon here on this record. The steady force who taught him strength, kindness, and family loyalty in a world that offered him none of those things. If the music is Kory’s story, his mother is its spine. This album is her legacy as much as it is his.

What makes Cobra Son special is that there’s not a single wasted moment. Every track has purpose. Some songs bang loud enough to rattle the trunk, others cut deep enough to leave scars. Together, they form an album that feels like a complete reflection of where Kory comes from, what he’s endured, and where he’s headed.

4200Kory doesn’t just represent Indianapolis and the Far Eastside he embodies it. The city’s danger, its beauty, its contradictions, and its resilience all live inside him, and on Cobra Son, he lets the world hear it. If you're not hip to his discography, go take a deep dive, because Naptown has its storyteller, and he goes by the name 4200Kory.

Cobra Son available everywhere.